What does food mean (in terms of cultural significance, emotional significance, personal identity, etc.) to North Carolina writers? Compare and/or contrast writers’ food experiences/memories using essays from The Carolina Table to answer this question.
Before you begin, please ensure that you are familiar with how to synthesize sources (MLA-3d in A Writer’s Reference) and with The Carolina Table. Review these resources if needed. You should also view the UNC Writing Center’s resource on Comparing and Contrasting Links to an external site. as that is the organizational pattern (specifically, point-by-point in most cases) that this essay will follow.
View Synthesis Essay Topics and Sources. Choose ONE of the topics listed and read the prompt carefully.
Read as many of the source texts listed as needed in order to familiarize yourself with the topic. If the topic is one that you are already familiar with, you will need to familiarize yourself with at least two assigned sources regardless as this essay will require you to synthesize them.
Determine your answer to the topic question. The prompt indicates the subjects that you will be comparing and/or contrasting. You should consider whether you will be exploring similarities, differences, or both. Your thesis statement will reveal the subjects (who or what is being compared) and indicate what similarities and/or differences exist between them.
Next, brainstorm similarities and/or differences.
Once you have a list of similarities and/or differences, choose at least three that you can
elaborate on. While you may use some prior knowledge, you will be required to use assigned sources as well. At least one body paragraph must demonstrate synthesis by including evidence from multiple sources. You do not have to use multiple sources in every paragraph, however.
Use your outline as a starting point to draft a 500 to 1,000-word (about two-to-four double-spaced pages) comparison-contrast essay that uses multiple sources. You should compose your essay in Microsoft Word or a program that can save in Word file format (.docx).
Build an introduction around your thesis statement. Use the introduction to establish the topic and its importance. The introduction and thesis statement should set up the essay’s comparisons.
Include at least three body paragraphs. Under point-by-point organization, each body paragraph will focus on a particular similarity or difference between the subjects compared. This similarity or difference will be stated in a topic sentence and supported by relevant evidence (examples, descriptions, explanations, etc.). At least one body paragraph must demonstrate synthesis by including support from two or more sources. You are not required to use multiple sources in every paragraph. You may include relevant prior knowledge, and, potentially, personal experience, but you are still required to use multiple sources assigned for your topic.
Use transitions when needed to move between ideas and show relationships between them.
Include a conclusion. Your conclusion should reinforce your thesis albeit not in the exact same words as you used in the introduction. Your conclusion can also sum up the essay’s similarities and/or differences and offer a final thought on the topic.
IV. Cite and Format
Finally, apply MLA page and citation formatting.
To apply page formatting, please refer to the Document Formatting Guide.
To apply citation formatting, please first ensure that you understand what MLA citation requires. See MLA-2a in A Writer’s Reference or watch the Video tutorial on MLA documentation style if you need a refresher.
Use signal phrases to attribute ideas taken from sources. If the person you are attributing is not the person who wrote the source, include the author’s last name(s) in parentheses after the information appears (parenthetical citation). You would also use parenthetical citations to include page numbers for books and ebooks.
Source information may be presented through summary, paraphrase, or direct quotation, but all of them require attribution. Use quotation marks when you are borrowing exact words. Do not quote excessively. When synthesizing, use transitions and explanations/analysis to balance your use of source material and create a home for it inside of your paragraphs.
Include a Works Cited page with an entry for each article. See A Writer’s Reference MLA-4b. For online articles and Web pages, see the model for “Short work from a website” (or this resource
Download this resource or this video). For an ebook, access the source, and look for Cite Book. Make sure MLA is the selected format. For essays in The Carolina Table, follow the models for “One selection from an anthology or collection” (if you only use one essay) or “Two or more selections from an anthology or collection” (if you use multiple essays). See also this video.
